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“Unfortunately, because of the fast past of events, I inadvertently briefed the Vice President Elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian Ambassador. I have sincerely apologized to the President and Vice President and they have accepted my apology.”

They also have accepted your resignation, asshole. Hair Führer last night named Lt. Gen. Kellogg acting National Security Adviser. As the link points out, he’s not just an incompetent bad guy, he might be a war criminal.

Now, on to the WaPo: Justice Department warned White House that Flynn could be vulnerable to Russian blackmail, officials say

“The acting attorney general informed the Trump White House late last month that she believed Michael Flynn had misled senior administration officials about the nature of his communications with the Russian ambassador to the United States, and warned that the national security adviser was potentially vulnerable to Russian blackmail, current and former U.S. officials said. The message, delivered by Sally Q. Yates and a senior career national security official to the White House counsel, was prompted by concerns that ­Flynn, when asked about his calls and texts with the Russian diplomat, had told Vice ­President-elect Mike Pence and others that he had not discussed the Obama administration sanctions on Russia for its interference in the 2016 election, the officials said. It is unclear what the White House counsel, Donald McGahn, did with the information. …

“…For Yates and other officials, concerns about the communications peaked in the days after the Obama administration on Dec. 29 announced measures to punish Russia for what it said was the Kremlin’s interference in the election in an attempt to help Trump. After the sanctions were rolled out, the Obama administration braced itself for the Russian retaliation. To the surprise of many U.S. officials, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Dec. 30 that there would be no response. Trump praised the decision on Twitter. Intelligence analysts began to search for clues that could help explain Putin’s move. The search turned up [Russian Ambassador Sergey] Kislyak’s communications, which the FBI routinely monitors, and the phone call in question with Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general with years of intelligence experience.”

Dude was so stupid he didn’t think that the phone calls to the Russian Ambassador might be monitored? Trump has surrounded himself with very smart people, the best!

Also, consider this: Yates was fired for saying (correctly) that the Muslim Travel Ban was unconstitutional and therefore indefensible. But maybe (Peggy Noonan conjecture here) because she was getting close to uncovering Moscow Mole Flynn? Also conjecture, but… doesn’t it seem unlikely that a military-trained operative would be acting without orders? You know, the old Chain-of-Command? Since we know he was in contact with the Russian Ambassador, doesn’t it seem likely that he might have been acting on orders from someone?

Anyway, the news is coming in fast and curious, er, furious. I’m sure we will have updates.

UPDATE 1:

At 4:06 p.m. yesterday on MSNBC, Kellyanne Conway — Counselor to the President, and someone who authentically has his ear and affection — twice told anchor Steve Kornacki, live from the White House briefing room, that embattled national security adviser Mike Flynn “does enjoy the full confidence of the president — this is a big week for General Flynn.”

An hour later, press secretary Sean Spicer put out a very different statement, resulting in the all-evening headline on CNN: “WHITE HOUSE: TRUMP IS ‘EVALUATING’ FLYNN SITUATION.”

“Michael Flynn served in the U.S. military for more than three decades. Washington, D.C. can be a rough town for honorable people, and Flynn—who has always been a soldier, not a politician—deserves America’s gratitude and respect for dedicating so much of his life to strengthening our national security. I thank him for his many years of distinguished service.”

So the white-washing begins. Nunes is not going to let an investigation into Russian tampering happen, he’s making it pretty clear.

“Let me take a step back for a second. National security is perhaps the most important function or responsibility a president has, and I think the President made the right decision to ask for his resignation. You cannot have a national security adviser misleading the Vice President and others.”

Ryan is a skilled politician and realizes it is better if it looks like Trump is in charge and making YUGE decisions, the best. Or maybe Bullshit Barbie is just lying reflexively. Hard to say.

i read somewhere that trump has known for weeks that flynn lied about the phone calls – that was fine with him – but pence was really p.o.’d – no doubt this experience with trump will contribute in its own way to the eventual invoking of the 25th amendment when pence becomes acting president